Kaurasach

AKKO - a short story

2006-06-12T15:24:00.000-07:00

A cup of Tea

“You call yourself the Guru’s Sikh”, I thundered at my nani (maternal grandmother), “yet, you harbor such feelings!” “Do as you are told. Don’t argue!” she protested feebly with embarrassment, and let out a gentle dubka. I ignored her mumblings, grabbed a glass from the kitchen shelf, and ran up the wedge shaped stairs. “Don’t let the teapot touch her glass”, she repeated after me.
Akko was the neighborhood sweeper. Armed with a jharoo and a tin can (to collect feces), she cleaned the rooftop latrines in our village. All her life she had toiled in this menial and thankless work. The blistering heat in June didn’t slow her steady work ethic. She looked older than her age. Akko walked with a limp and side sway. The mehndi colored and unkempt hair gave her a disheveled yet amusing appearance. A few gold studded yellow and decaying teeth remained precariously in her ever-grinning mouth. The cheerful and friendly smile complimented her wrinkled face. Torn and mended dresses clothed her. She wore her salwar high.
In spite of the hard life, pauper appearance and emaciated physique, there was dignity about her. She personified the true Punjabi spirit of the bygone era sung in our folklore. Akko’s heart was as large as the Punjab.
She would routinely come and clean our latrines. My grandma gave her a few rupees for the service. Akko declined the paltry payment - a small fortune to her. “He is my guest too”, she beamed with a twinkle in her faded eye, and “One doesn’t accept payment from guests”. As per the Punjabi tradition of hospitality, when a visitor visits a village, he is a welcomed guest of all the villagers. In this petty, selfish and cold world, I was touched by her noble and warm gesture. My eyes well up whenever I remember the snippets from the conversation.
Granny would offer her two rotis and a cup of tea. I vividly remember the routine: After finishing her work, Akko would sit on the floor and receive the rotis in folded hands with great reverence and gratitude. Sometimes, she saved one of the two rotis for dinner or shared it with her family. Then, she would fetch a glass from her bag and place it before her. My granny would pour the tea from a safe distance – taking care that the teapot never came in contact with the glass.
That day, I decided I would remind my granny of a lesson about equality our Gurus gave us. I was going to serve Akko the tea in a glass from our kitchen. Laborers and other well to do lower castes drank from our tumblers. “Why was it a taboo for Akko to use them?” I wondered.
Akko saw me coming with the kettle and noticed the glass in the other hand. It was unexpected. Her uneasy smile seemed to convey that I was innocent and a stranger to the local customs and norms. She tapped her glass on the floor – as if to tell me that she wanted the tea in her dusty glass. Only God and her heart knew in that awkward moment why she couldn’t or wouldn’t accept our tumbler.
Ignoring my nani’s earlier advice, I knelt to pour the tea. The kettle spout and the glass tinkled for one brief moment; the glass wobbled from the splashing tea. Akko steadied it with her hands; that is when I saw that her hands and the glass were splattered and stained with feces. I recoiled in revulsion and stood up; the tea flowed from a distance into her glass. After serving Akko the tea, I placed the kettle for scrubbing.

chaa da glass

2006-06-12T15:19:00.000-07:00

I write under nom de plume "Kaura Singh Mitha". I want to publish my stories in Punjabi. Here is a translation of one of the works.

Chaa Da Glass

“Tu apnay aap nu Guru da sikh kahauni ain tay terey man ch eho jehay soch”, main nani nu jhirkya. Ohnay aggon dubka maarya tay kehndi “Bahutay sawal jawab naa kar, Jidan tainu kiha ohdan kar”. Main ohnu bud bud kardi nu chhadya, rasoi di kaanas chon ik glass chukya tay paurian char kay kothey nu bhaja. Oh mairay magar boli, “dhiyan rakhi kaitli (tea pot) oh they glass nu naa luggay”.

Akko saaday gawand di jamardarni si. Ik hath ch jharoo tay ik ch peepa chukioh lokan thian chhatan tay tatiaan saaf kardi. Saari umar ais kam ch rul gaee. Sikhar dupharay wagdi loo ch ohnay apnay kam ch rujji rehna. Holi holi ik ik kar kay pind they ghar pughtaunay.

Oh lang maar kay turdi si. Mehndi rangay khilray waal us no ik mauji roop dainday. Moonh ohda boauda si; which do char sonay jaday peelay dand reh gaye. Oh wee thodyan dinaan they parohnay si. Mukh tay sada sajya hoya haasa us thiaan jharoodian nu shingarda si. Paatay pooraanay leeray ohdi pushak sun. Apni suthan oh hamesha chuk kay bandi si.

Jindri they dukh ohdi insaaniyat nu naeen dhaa sakay. Garibi tay bhukh wee us di chardi kala nu naeen thalay laa saky. Oh Punjab di poorani sanskriti da namoona si. Oh Punjab di aatma si jo aj kalay kissay tay kahanian they warkyan tay parhan nu mildi ey. Akko da dil Punjab jidda wadda si.

Nit oh saaday ghar safai kar kay jaandi. Nani nay ohnu kujh rupay dittay. Ussany lain taun nanh kar ti. Kehndi, “eh mera wee parauhna eh, paraunianh taun kaun paissay lainda?” Puranay waylay, Punjabi pindaan ch jay kar koyee kissay da parunaha jaanda, oh saaryae pind tay pind walian da paraunha hunda, saarian kolon piyar tay satkar paunda. Baday dukh di gull ai kay eh changi tay suchaji reet aj saaday samaj ch ghat di jaandi ey. Iss matlabi, apno apni, koray tay laalchi jug ch eh niggi gull nay mera mun moh liya. Mainu nit usda mukh dikhda ey tay uss they eh bol kanan ch goonj they nay. Kaee waar akhaan tay man bhar aundey nay.

Jadon kothay tay safai da kam kaaj muk jaanda taan oh ik nukar ch chaan lub kay baih jaandi. Naani ohnu do rotian dindi. Jo oh badee nirmata, tay santooshti naal chakh kay khandi. Fir oh apna kach da glass kad kay apnay mohray rakh dindi. Nani uss glass ch dooron chaa paandi, eh dhiyan rakh kay ghar da bhaanda uss they glass nu naa luggay.

Uss din main pukka kar liya, “Aj naani nu mat bhed baaray guruaan the ditti sikhiya da chaita karawanga”. Akko nu apni rasoi they glass ch chaa parosaan ga.” Kaamay tay hor paissay waalay chooray wee saaday bhanday wart they see, tay fir Akko nu kiyon manahi?”

Akko nay mainu paurian chon aunda waikh liya – ik hath kaytli, dujjay hath glass. Waikh kay wadi saari muskaan oh they mukh tay khir gaee. Ohdi muskan eh kehndi jaap the see, “tu niyaana ainh, aithon thiaan gullan taun anjaan.” Ohnay apna glass poonjay khadkaaya – ishaara see – meri cha eh they ch hee paa they. Oss garhi dian sochan Akko da dill yaan Waheguru hee jaanda ey.

Main jhuk kay punjhay paye glass ch chaa paan lugga. Kaytlee glass naal ja thanki tay chaa di dhaar naal glass dolya. Akko nay apnay hathan naal glass nu tikaaya. Os waylay main waikhya kay us they hath tay chaa da glass goonh they chhityan naal libday see. Main khalo gaya tay chaa duron glass ch wagdi rahi. Akko nu Chaa they kay main thalay jaa kay kaytlee maanjan laee rakh ti.

MITHAY BANDAY DIAN KAURIAN per Sachian GULLAN

2006-06-09T13:20:00.000-07:00

Kaura Singh Mitha
KauRa KauRa Aakhay mainu saara Jug,
Mainu Maaran Taahnay, Aap Sauri they Thug!
Jadon main Aakhaan sach, Machdi Chhati Ag,
Sun kay Jhoothi Gup, Khush nay Laee lug.
Mithi Gup ton Kaura Changa,
Jhoothay Kapray Besharmi Naalon,
Main sach ch nauhnda Nanga.
MITHAY BANDAY DIAN KAURIAN per Sachian GULLAN